Careme

Location: Quality Food Center - Bellevue East (1510 145th Pl SE)

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Pasta with Asparagus, Spinach, and Mushrooms

A fast spring pasta built around seasonal Washington produce for late March: asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, and lemon-garlic chicken in a light, silky pan sauce. It avoids your previous curry/braise/roast pattern and keeps the meal fresh and weeknight-friendly.

Total time: 35 minutes

Estimated cost: $11-14 plus pantry pasta

Health notes: Lean protein, lots of green vegetables, lighter sauce than cream-based pasta.

Drink pairing: Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

Ingredients

  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
    1 lb 4.49
  • Green Asparagus
    1/2 lb, trimmed and cut in 2-inch pieces 5.99
  • Spinach
    1/2 bunch or about 3 cups loosely packed 2.69
  • Kroger® Sliced White Mushrooms
    8 oz 2.79
  • Jumbo Yellow Onions
    1/2 onion, thinly sliced 1.49
  • Kroger® Fresh Diced Garlic
    2 teaspoons 3.49
  • Pompeii® Lemon Juice
    1 1/2 tablespoons 2.50
  • Parsley
    2 tablespoons chopped 1.69
  • FREE RANGE CHICKEN BROTH LOW SODIUM - SIMPLE TRUTH ORGANIC - 32 OZ
    3/4 cup 1.67
  • pantry pasta
    6-8 oz long pasta or short pasta
  • pantry olive oil
    2 tablespoons
  • pantry butter
    1 tablespoon
  • pantry grated parmesan
    1/4 cup optional
  • pantry salt
    to taste
  • pantry black pepper
    to taste
  • pantry red pepper flakes
    optional pinch

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook 6 to 8 ounces pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
  2. Slice 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs into bite-size strips. Season with salt and black pepper.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook 5 to 6 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
  4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add 1/2 thinly sliced yellow onion and 8 ounces mushrooms. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until softened and lightly browned.
  5. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and, if using, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir 30 seconds. Add 1/2 pound asparagus and cook 2 minutes.
  6. Pour in 3/4 cup chicken broth and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice. Simmer 2 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until just wilted.
  7. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the drained pasta, 1 tablespoon butter, and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss until glossy and lightly sauced.
  8. Turn off the heat and add parsley and optional parmesan. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon.
  9. Serve in shallow bowls with extra parsley on top.
Seared Steelhead with Radish-Cucumber Herb Salad

A different steelhead dish from the earlier salmon-style idea: seared steelhead with a warm radish, cucumber, and herb salad plus a quick mustard-pan sauce. Bright, peppery, and distinctly spring-forward for Washington in late March.

Total time: 30 minutes

Estimated cost: $8-11 using your steelhead plus pantry rice

Health notes: High-protein, omega-3 rich, vegetable-forward, and relatively light.

Drink pairing: Dry Riesling or unoaked Chardonnay

Ingredients

  • Fresh Steelhead Trout Fillet
    1 lb already have
  • Green Top Red Radishes
    1 bunch, thinly sliced 1.99
  • Organic Cucumber
    1, sliced into half moons 1.49
  • Parsley
    2 tablespoons chopped 1.69
  • Mint
    1 tablespoon chopped 1.29
  • Taylor Farms Chopped Cilantro
    1 tablespoon optional 2.79
  • Pompeii® Lemon Juice
    2 tablespoons 2.50
  • Kroger® Fresh Diced Garlic
    1 teaspoon 3.49
  • Jumbo Yellow Onions
    2 tablespoons finely minced 1.49
  • pantry Dijon mustard
    1 tablespoon
  • pantry olive oil
    2 tablespoons
  • pantry honey or maple syrup
    1 teaspoon
  • pantry salt
    to taste
  • pantry black pepper
    to taste
  • pantry cooked rice or crusty bread
    for serving, optional

Instructions

  1. Pat the 1 pound steelhead dry and cut into 2 portions. Season with salt and black pepper.
  2. In a bowl, combine thinly sliced radishes, cucumber, parsley, mint, and optional cilantro.
  3. Whisk together 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, honey or maple syrup, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Toss with the radish-cucumber mixture and let it sit while you cook the fish.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the steelhead skin-side down if skin-on. Press gently for the first 30 seconds so it cooks flat.
  5. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side until mostly opaque. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, depending on thickness. Transfer to plates.
  6. Lower heat to medium. In the same pan, add the minced onion and cook 30 to 60 seconds. Add garlic and stir 20 seconds.
  7. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon, and 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Swirl until lightly emulsified into a quick pan sauce.
  8. Spoon some sauce over the steelhead and pile the radish-cucumber herb salad alongside.
  9. Serve with cooked rice or bread if desired.
Skillet Pork Chops with Apples, Cabbage, and Onions

A savory pork chop skillet with caramelized apples, cabbage, and onions. Apples and cabbage are still excellent seasonal choices in Washington at the end of March, giving you a cozy but not heavy dinner that differs from your previously cooked pineapple-braised cabbage dish.

Total time: 40 minutes

Estimated cost: $10-13

Health notes: Balanced protein with fiber-rich vegetables; moderate-carb if served on its own.

Drink pairing: Pinot Noir or dry cider

Ingredients

  • Kroger® Pork Center Cut Chop Bone In
    1 lb, about 2 chops 4.79
  • Green Cabbage
    1/2 small head, thinly sliced 1.49
  • Simple Truth Organic® Granny Smith Apples – 2 Pound Bag
    2 apples, sliced 3.99
  • Jumbo Yellow Onions
    1/2 onion, sliced 1.49
  • Kroger® Fresh Diced Garlic
    1 teaspoon 3.49
  • Pompeii® Lemon Juice
    1 teaspoon 2.50
  • Parsley
    1 tablespoon chopped 1.69
  • pantry olive oil
    1 tablespoon
  • pantry butter
    1 tablespoon
  • pantry Dijon mustard
    1 teaspoon optional
  • pantry salt
    to taste
  • pantry black pepper
    to taste

Instructions

  1. Pat dry the pork chops and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chops 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned and nearly cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Lower heat to medium. Add butter, onion, and apples. Cook 4 minutes until they begin to soften and color.
  4. Add cabbage and a pinch of salt. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wilted and lightly caramelized.
  5. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in lemon juice and optional Dijon for brightness.
  6. Return pork chops to the skillet, nestling them into the cabbage-apple mixture. Cover and cook 2 to 4 minutes until the pork is done.
  7. Finish with chopped parsley and black pepper.
  8. Serve the pork over the cabbage-apple mixture.

Planned by Careme.